Gilas Pilipinas Boys’ journey in the 2024 FIBA Under-18 Asian Championship came to a heartbreaking end after an 85-61 defeat to Japan in the qualification to the quarterfinals on Friday night at the Prince Hamza Sports Hall in Amman, Jordan.
The loss marked the Philippines’ third consecutive defeat, closing their tournament run with a 1-3 record. With the setback, Gilas’ hopes of securing a podium finish and a spot in the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland were dashed.
After trailing by double digits at halftime, Gilas mounted a rally late in the third quarter, cutting Japan’s lead to just six points, 53-47, thanks to key plays from Allen Perez and Kurl Figueroa.
However, Japan quickly regained control, led by Leon Watanabe, who sparked an 11-3 run to push their lead back to 14 by the end of the quarter.
(C) FIBA.basketball
Japan’s dominance on the boards proved crucial, as they outrebounded the Philippines 43-30, with 18 offensive rebounds leading to 16 second-chance points.
The size advantage allowed Japan to maintain control throughout the game.
Watanabe paced Japan with 15 points, while Riku Segawa and Teruchika Naito added 13 and 10 points, respectively, to solidify their victory.
For Gilas, Mark Esperanza led the scoring effort with 16 points, while Earl Medina, who scored 30 points in their previous game against New Zealand, contributed 11.
Despite their efforts, Gilas was unable to overcome Japan’s well-rounded performance.
The Scores:
Philippines 61 – Esperanza 16, Medina 11, Cabonilas 8, Perez 8, Burgos 5, Esteban 5, Manding 3, Lorenzo 3, Figueroa 2, Velasquez 0, Ludovice 0, Santos 0.
Japan 85 – Watanabe 15, Segawa 13, Naito 10, Wada 8, Sugeno 7, Togaeri 7, Shiratani 7, Fukasawa 5, Benedict 5, Takata 4, Sembo 4, Shimizu 0.
Quarterscores: 19-23, 31-40, 50-64, 61-85.
